Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-02-19
soUATrER SOVEREIGNTY.

. The Territory of Cimarron WIN Hold al
Election February 22nd-The strip d.
vided Into Three Representative District
Rules and Regulations Adopted for tbs
Provisional Government.
/ TOPEKA, February IO.-A petition ha
/ been IN circulation In this city the past few
! days, addressed to the general land com
missioner of the United States, asking tina
J a land ONCE be established at Voorhees,
! small city IN Stevens county IN the south
/ west corner of the state and within three
miles of the southern boundary line Of
| Kansas. Signers we're solicited among tbs
prominent men of ali parties and there
I were but few refusals- JIG appears that the
object of the petition Is to provide for the
| contingency of the passage by congress Of
| bill opening up for settlement the strlL
known as ''NO Mans Land" upon which
some 1900 squatters have already 10
] destined eventually, to become g
part OF the state of Kansas, the particulars
/ of its early history will prove Of interest to
/ all Kansas people, and the establishment OF
the proposed land Office at Voorhees, prom
! lFes TO be the beginning OF new era IN 3
land that has heretofore been without the
protection of law of any kind
On the 18th of November, 1885, the people
OF C1marrOn, as they propose to call the
country, held a volunteer mass meeting at
which a code Of "rules and regulations"
for the government Of the territory was
adopted. At the same time 1t was resolved
/ to hold an election on the 22d of February,
1887, and a 'd6 clarat1On OF rights" was
made. The mass meeting resolved itself
into COMMITTEES Of the whole, for mutual
protection and formally adopted the title
/ 'CimarrOn Territory" after the river Of
that name, which runs across the western
portion of the tract.
The territory was divided into three equal
portions by the lOlst AMI lOZnd merIdIans,
70 be known as the First, Second and Third
Legislative districts of the territory of Clm-
arrnn. The inhabitants of each of these
districts we're instructed to meet on the 2znd
inst. and hold an election as nearly as pos
slbls IN conformity to the laws regulating
elections IN the states and territories, ana
to each choose three Representatives, TO
meet at Beaver City March 4, as the terri
tOrial council.
A president, vice president and secretary
and treasurer was then selected and author
lzec to act as local council, constituting a
Board"
The subject of land titles was naturally
the most important matter provided for,
and there were also regulations approved
against land grabbing, for q moderate taxa
breakers, etc. The matter OF penalties was
not touched, but il Is presumed that that
VIII take care OF itself IN this free and easy
little constituted commonwealth.
In 1903 the United States acquired by pur-
chase from France, for $1,000 OOc, Louis
lana territory, west OF the Mississippi river
from the gulf to the British possessions, in
Guiding the present states of Louisiana, Ar
kansas, that part of Kansas and Colorado
north of the Arkansas river only, and the
Indian territory west of the Tooth meridian.
Mexico and Spain claimed all vest of the
Tooth meridian and south of the Arkansas
river. In 1882 the Indian territory was or
gained and set apart for the Indians, under
treaties made with them. In 1915 Texas
''set up for herself' under the protection of
the United States. The war with Mexico
ri -HaHn
the territory of the United States west OF the
Tooth meridian, and south OF the Arkansas.
Texas, as a state, only claimed the northern
boundary OF the Panhandle, on Enc parallel
of $3.50. In 1850 the Kansas Nebraska bill
passed congress, and as first framed, made
81. 30 the southern boundary OF Kansas, brit
Stephen A. Douglas, then il the house, call
ed attention to the treaty with the CherOEes5
OF 1885, which gave them q strip of land
along the south side of the thirty-seventh
parallel, and running from the Missouri line
to the one hundredth meridian. This strip
was set apart to give the Indians a route
westward to the buffalo hunting grounds
OF Colorado and the northwest. This
strip is still called "th5 outlet" As
stated, 1t extended to the one hundredth
meridian. So parallel thirty seven was made
the southern boundary of Kansas, ana when
the one hundr6dth meridian was reached the
boundary was continued on the same
parallel westward. Thus "the Cherokee
outlet" was preserved, and there was also
l6LL west OF II a CONTINUATION OF IT, or auOLl-
or strip between leXas and Kansas, and this
second pieces was called the neutral strip, -
or ''NO Mans Land" New Mexico and
Colorado we're afteFWard formed with square
corners and thus the neutral strip was left
with fully defined boundaries, but entirely
out in the cold so far as the laws OF the
United States were concerned.
When land became valuable the cattle
barOns seized upon It and though a special
agent was sent out from Washington he
never made any report against them and so
they held undisputed sway over thousands
{ Of acres. The declarations Of rights, adopt
ed November 18th, provides among other
things that no man shall acquire title to
more than 16O acres, so that it viii no longer
be cursed by alien landlOrdism, as are too
many of tne western states and territories.
Mineral City is the voting place of the
Third legislative district and Beaver City Of
the Second. That of the First is not
known. While there was some difference OF
opinion as to the time Whsn active measures
should be taken to insure the Eguatters their
rights under the law, it is believed that the
| people of 'tNO Mans Land" Will work az
unit 10 secure the ends sought, and that il
! the FEDERAL laws are not extended to them
! by February y, they will ''guaFd their Own
interest"